Mesh network technology enables wireless devices to communicate with peers by relaying network data packets through a series of wireless intermediate nodes. The intermediate nodes can be fixed elements of a network infrastructure, or mobile wireless stations that are capable of routing or relaying data packets between neighboring network nodes. A gateway that functions as a bridge between a mesh network and a non-mesh network, such as a backbone network, is called a mesh gateway or an Intelligent Access Point (IAP). A wireless intermediate node, also referred to as a wireless router or a mesh access point, can act as a router, a bridge, or a repeater to relay data packets between neighboring network nodes that are in communication with the wireless intermediate node. Thus, wireless intermediate nodes can extend a communication range of an IAP by relaying data packets between neighboring network nodes.
A mesh network can comprise one or more mesh gateways. The mesh gateways can provide wireless mesh networking by establishing wireless backhaul connections, also referred to as wireless distribution systems (WDSs). This type of mesh networking is referred to as wireless backhaul meshing or infrastructure meshing. Alternatively, a mesh network can comprise mobile wireless stations that act as intermediate nodes by relaying data between nearby mobile stations. This type of mesh networking is referred to as client meshing or ad-hoc networking. A combination of both type of mesh networking also can be used.
A large scale wireless mesh network utilizing low-powered, short-range, high-data rate communication devices can thus provide long range wireless networking. Advantages of such wireless mesh networking include low interference and large scale wireless coverage that requires significantly less infrastructure than a cellular network. For example, wireless mesh networking can provide ubiquitous Internet access if a mesh gateway participating in the mesh networking is connected the Internet.
In mesh networks that manage a large quantity of data traffic, traffic congestion can occur at a mesh gateway connected to a backbone network, such as the Internet or a public switched telephone network (PSTN), due to each node in a mesh network generally being associated with only a single mesh gateway. Thus, network traffic queued at a mesh gateway can sometimes exceed a capacity of a backhaul link of the mesh gateway, even if another mesh gateway in the same mesh network still has available capacity to route network traffic over another backhaul link.
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